Mid Century Modern Neighborhoods of the DMV
While not typically thought of as a mid-century modern architecture destination, the Washington DC region has an abundance of MCM gems, and hidden enclaves filled with masterpieces by Charles Goodman, Nicholas Satterlee, and Francis Donald Lethbridge, among other notable modernist architects.
Bannockburn
Montgomery County, Maryland
Tucked into the leafy landscape of western Bethesda, Bannockburn is a well-established neighborhood known for its winding streets, mature trees, and a unique mix of architectural styles. Originally developed in the 1940s and '50s on the site of a former golf course, the neighborhood has grown into a welcoming and close-knit residential community with a distinct sense of identity. Bannockburn is also home to a historic community clubhouse that still serves as a gathering place for seasonal events, social groups, and neighborhood programs.
While many homes reflect traditional Colonial and ranch-style architecture, Bannockburn quietly boasts a number of exceptional mid-century modern residences, including the notable Seymour Krieger House, designed in 1958 by internationally renowned architect Marcel Breuer with landscaping by Dan Kiley. Featuring sleek lines, large glass panels, and minimalist detailing, the home is a rare example of International Style architecture in Montgomery County and contributes to the neighborhood’s architectural diversity.
Bannockburn’s appeal is enhanced by its natural setting and convenient location. Residents enjoy easy access to nearby parks and trails, including Glen Echo Park, the C&O Canal, and Bannockburn Park. The neighborhood also benefits from proximity to highly regarded public schools, local swim and tennis clubs, and quick access to downtown Bethesda and Washington, DC. With its peaceful atmosphere, varied architecture, and strong community ties, Bannockburn continues to attract homeowners seeking both character and convenience in one of Montgomery County’s most desirable locations.
Carderrock Springs
Montgomery County, Maryland
Tucked into the wooded hills of Bethesda in Montgomery County, Carderock Springs is a premier example of mid-century modern “situated modernism” in the Washington DC region. Developed between 1962 and 1966, this historic district includes approximately 275–400 architect-designed homes on gently sloping half‑acre lots arranged along winding roads and cul-de-sacs that follow the natural terrain. The neighborhood was honored with listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008, recognizing its architectural integrity and thoughtful integration with the landscape.
Visionary developer Edmund Bennett partnered with the prominent D.C. architectural firm Keyes, Lethbridge & Condon to bring Carderock Springs to life, offering diverse floor plans that emphasized clean horizontal lines, cathedral ceilings, large glass walls, and seamless indoor-outdoor living. Each home was sited deliberately to respond to its lot’s topography—an early sustainable design ethos—and built in harmony with the wooded setting rather than reshaping it. Bennett’s marketing materials highlighted features like skylights, low overhangs, and modern materials—never even mentioning “modern”—yet today these homes are prized for their purity of mid-century style.
Today, Carderock Springs remains a well-preserved mid-century modern enclave in the DMV, celebrated for its harmonious blend of architecture and nature, friendly community, and robust residents’ association. The neighborhood features a private Swim & Tennis Club, organized social events like campouts and potlucks, and an active Architectural Review Committee ensuring any renovations honor the original modernist character and covenants. Convenient to downtown Bethesda and D.C., and backed by top-rated Fairfax County schools, Carderock Springs continues to draw those seeking timeless modern design, conservation-minded living, and community engagement in Montgomery County, MD.
Hammond Wood
Montgomery County, Maryland
Hammond Wood is a finely preserved mid‑century modern enclave in Montgomery County, Maryland, located just north of Kensington and Wheaton. Built between 1949 and 1951, this historic district features 58 contemporary single-family homes thoughtfully sited on 15 acres of gently rolling, wooded terrain. Nestled amid mature oak and beech trees, the neighborhood’s gently curving streets and cul‑de‑sacs respond to the topography—boosting privacy and preserving natural landscapes as envisioned by its original planners.
Designed by acclaimed architect Charles M. Goodman in collaboration with developers Paul Hammond and Paul I. Burman, Hammond Wood exemplifies Goodman’s “merchant‑builder” approach—modular, affordable architecture that introduced open floor plans, expansive glass walls, wide overhangs, sculptural chimneys, and a seamless indoor–outdoor connection. Goodman and his team deliberately angled houses to maximize southern solar exposure for passive heating, a pioneering feature in early post‑war suburbs. The result is an architecturally cohesive neighborhood that earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 as the Hammond Wood Historic District.
Hammond Wood holds a special place in the story of modern architecture in the DMV area. Alongside nearby sister developments like Hammond Hill and Rock Creek Woods, it helped introduce Contemporary design to suburban Maryland during the post-WWII building boom. Original homeowners—many drawn from artistic, progressive, or government circles—embraced Goodman’s vision. Today the community remains largely intact, with sensitive renovations that honor the original style and a strong sense of social cohesion among neighbors proud of their mid‑century heritage.
Hollin Hills
Fairfax County, Virginia
Nestled in southeastern Fairfax County, just 10 miles south of Alexandria, Hollin Hills is an iconic master-planned mid-century modern neighborhood that redefined suburban living in the Washington, DC area. Created between 1946 and 1971, Hollin Hills encompasses approximately 326 acres and nearly 450–475 architecturally significant homes, all thoughtfully sited within wooded rolling hills. This classic community was designated both a Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places Historic District in 2013.
The neighborhood was shaped by visionary architect Charles M. Goodman and developer Robert C. Davenport, who collaborated to build what Goodman called “a new and unique community”—an architectural laboratory for modular, affordable modern homes. Goodman designed eight modern house types with 15 variations, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass walls, flat roofs, open floor plans, and angled siting to maximize privacy and integrate seamlessly with nature. Landscape architects including Lou “Barney” Voight, Daniel Urban Kiley, and Eric Paepcke accentuated each lot’s terrain and vegetation, making Hollin Hills a standout example of mid-century modern design nestled in lush greenery.
Today Hollin Hills endures as a well-preserved architectural gem in northern Virginia. Its Historic Overlay District status, established in 2022 by Fairfax County, imposes design review standards that help maintain the neighborhood’s cohesive aesthetic and wide open feel. The Civic Association of Hollin Hills (CAHH) manages community amenities, including seven parks, a swim and pickleball/tennis club, and robust preservation events like biennial house-and-garden tours—all reinforcing Hollin Hills’ reputation as a forward-thinking, mid-century enclave with deep historic and cultural significance in the DMV region
Holmes Run Acres
Fairfax County, Virginia
Located just inside the Capital Beltway in Falls Church, Virginia, Holmes Run Acres is one of the DMV area's earliest and largest mid‑century modern neighborhoods. Developed between 1951 and 1958 on about 122–140 acres, the community is home to approximately 355 architecturally distinctive residences nestled amid wooded terrain and cul‑de‑sacs. Structured with post‑and‑beam construction, open floor plans, walls of glass, and brick facades, Holmes Run Acres remains a pristine modernist enclave celebrated for its seamless integration of homes into the natural landscape.
Nicholas Satterlee and Francis Donald Lethbridge led the architectural vision here, orchestrating the design principles across Holmes Run Acres and ensuring visual cohesion. Three primary builders—the Luria Brothers, Gaddy Construction, and Andre Bodor—brought these designs to life, offering L‑shaped slab ramblers, split‑level homes, and homes with cathedral ceilings and expansive windows. Notably, the community earned early acclaim from the Southwest Research Institute in 1951 for its honest post‑and‑beam design and careful lot orientation—a merit cited alongside landmark California modernist developments.
Holmes Run Acres was officially listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in the mid-2000s, making it the first mid‑century modern district in Virginia to receive such distinction. Since its early days, residents formed the Holmes Run Acres Civic Association, in 1952, and were instrumental in building Fairfax County’s first neighborhood pool and park, Luria Park. Today the neighborhood remains celebrated not only for its architectural heritage but also for strong community engagement, preservation efforts, and proximity to the Holmes Run Trail and local amenities.
Rock Creek Woods
Montgomery County, Maryland
Nestled amid a tranquil wooded valley between two creeks in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Rock Creek Woods is a rare mid‑century modern community of just 76 architect-designed homes. Designed by Charles M. Goodman and built between 1958 and 1961 by the Blumberg brothers of Bancroft Construction, the development sits on approximately 28 acres with curving streets and rolling terrain that preserve the natural character of the land. Recognized for its architectural and landscape integrity, Rock Creek Woods became a National Register Historic District in 2004.
Goodman’s signature approach is evident in every dwelling: angled siting for privacy and solar gain, expansive glass walls, brick facades, sculptural chimneys, wide overhangs, and open layouts that blur indoor and outdoor boundaries. The neighborhood was widely awarded in its day—for excellence in design, craftsmanship, and land planning. It remains the largest intact merchant-builder subdivision by Goodman in the county, offering unique architectural cohesion and visual harmony.
Beyond its architectural pedigree, Rock Creek Woods is loved for its lush, tranquil setting and strong community spirit. Residents enjoy sweeping cherry blossom trees, abundant wildlife, and close proximity to Rock Creek Park trails, Kensington, and Silver Spring amenities. With a single entrance and no through traffic, the neighborhood feels like a secluded sanctuary just minutes from Metro access, NIH, and downtown Bethesda. It's a serene yet connected enclave that showcases the best of modernist design and nature-minded living in the DMV region.
Moyaone Reserve
Prince Georges County, Maryland
Tucked into approximately 1,320 wooded acres within Piscataway Park in Accokeek, Maryland—just about 10 miles south of the Capital Beltway—Moyaone Reserve is a stunning example of a thoughtfully planned community that blends modern architecture with protected natural landscape. Established in the 1940s on land once part of the historic Accokeek Creek site, this conservation-minded neighborhood encompasses about 189 single-family homes, each set on expansive five-acre lots protected by scenic easements designed to preserve the viewshed from Mount Vernon and the park’s ecology.
The architectural legacy of Moyaone Reserve is anchored in its embrace of mid-century modern design, pioneered by architects like Charles F. Wagner Jr.—who designed more than a dozen homes in the community—and Charles M. Goodman, both of whom crafted residences in harmony with the woods’ natural topography. These homes feature low-slung profiles, glass walls, post-and-beam framing, open interior layouts, and site-sensitive siting. Some residents even built customized homes using plans from catalogs or trade publications, reflecting a spirit of architectural innovation uncommon in the region.
Today, Moyaone Reserve Historic District—added to the National Register of Historic Places in October 2020—remains one of the region’s best-preserved modernist enclaves. Governance under the Moyaone Association, plus preserved woodland lots and dirt roads, reinforces the community’s tranquil, rural character. Further, amenities like the Wagner Community Center, nature-focused programming at nearby Hard Bargain Farm, outdoor concerts, and community events help foster a neighborly ethos tied to conservation and architectural stewardship.
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Joshua Baumgardner
DC Area Mid Century Modern Expert
IJoshua Baumgardner is a seasoned Realtor and Vice President with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, serving clients across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia. With years of experience in residential real estate and a deep understanding of the DMV market, Joshua has built a reputation for delivering personalized service, strategic guidance, and exceptional results for buyers and sellers alike.
What truly sets Joshua apart is his passion and expertise in mid-century modern architecture. As a dedicated enthusiast and respected resource in the field, he helps clients discover the beauty, history, and design integrity of these timeless homes. Whether you're searching for a Charles Goodman masterpiece or looking to market your own architectural gem, Joshua brings unmatched knowledge and appreciation for the style, ensuring your home journey is as distinctive as the property itself.
Learn more about Joshua here.